Baby Orangutan Born At Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

CLEVELAND — A baby orangutan was born at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo last month.

The baby, born April 28, represents the first successful orangutan birth at the zoo since 2014, and the fifth since the RainForest opened in 1992. Guests visiting the zoo will now have a chance to see the baby and his mother.

The zoo is offering guests the chance to pick the baby's name.

By making a donation at FutureForWildlife.org/babynaming, guests can vote for one of these three names:

• Halim, meaning gentle
• Rimba, meaning jungle
• Zaki, meaning pure

“We’re thrilled to announce the birth of our new male orangutan, who will serve as an important ambassador for the decreasing number of Bornean orangutans in the wild,” said Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Executive Director Chris Kuhar. “By helping to name the orangutan, we hope to inspire a closer connection and appreciation for orangutans and the critical threats the species face in the wild.”

Baby orangutans typically weigh between 3 and 4.5 pounds at birth. The zoo's veterinarians and keepers have been closely monitoring the unnamed boy and his mother, Kera Wak.

Kera is also the mother of Merah, who was born in October 2014.

Like humans, orangutan babies are completely dependent on their mother for the first few years of their life, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo said. Kera and baby have joined Tiram, Kayla and Merah in their habitat in The RainForest and guests have a chance to see them daily. Both mom and baby will also continue to have access to their behind-the-scenes area as they bond.

Bornean orangutans are considered critically endangered. In just the past 15 years, the orangutan population has decreased more than 50 percent.